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Once more, America faces a reckoning, by Rev. Jesse Jackson
This country faces a reckoning. The question is whether we will come together or fall apart, move forward or descend toward a moral abyss. In this time of deep discord, of partisan divide, racial tension, extreme inequality, the outcome is far from certain. As fraught as this time is, however, it is not unique. We have faced such moments before.
Who gets to play?, by Julianne Malveaux
As summer winds down, and folks start rushing back to school or work, the memories of their vacations perhaps sustain them when, after Labor Day, the business of fall quickly engulfs them. There’s that Gershwin song from Porgy & Bess, “Sum- mertime and the Living is Easy,” record- ed more than 25,000 times with artists as diverse as Ella Fitzgerald and Willie Nelson. There’s that no-caring vibe that so many exude. Summer feels like, “Let’s go out to play.” Which begs the question: Who gets to play? In the European Union, workers get 20 days a year for vacation. Stores are nearly deserted in Paris this August because people have time off! In contrast, the average worker gets just 11 days of vacation in the United States. If they’ve worked in corporate America, the average worker gets just one week and has to work for up to five years before getting even two weeks. Many think educators get the summer off, and some faculty have the summer for research and preparation. But many K-12 teachers are paid so little that summer is when many of them get their side hustle on. Some teachers are driving for ride- share companies such as Uber and Lyft. Others have lined up consulting, tutoring, or other assignments. The other day, I had a ride with a math teacher who said his salary was too low to sustain his family. During Julianne Malveaux the summer, he clocks 12-hour days into ride-sharing. He’s one of the millions who don’t get to come out to play. Then there are the people who cobble a living working two or three part-time jobs. More than 8 million people have multiple jobs. Who knows what kind of juggling they are doing? Do any of their jobs provide them with vacations? When do they unplug? Reflect? Spend time with family or simply get to exhale? Just like everything else in our society, leisure is unevenly distributed. Those with more means and more access have more opportunities to play. Those who are simply surviving don’t have playtime, reflection time, or other downtime. The European Union edict that everyone, regardless of where they sit on the economic totem pole, gets 20 days a year off is an egalitarian recognition of the human right to relax. We in the United States are not as far along. Instead of rewarding labor with time off, we exploit workers in as many ways as possible, extracting surplus value from their work. There is little data on leisure, so most of my thoughts are in- terpretations and extrapolations. But as I listen to people wax rhapsodic about their vacations, their “happy places,” the wind and the sun and the beaches, I can’t help but think of those who don’t get time to enjoy wind, sun and beach. Summer is a time when many come out to play. What happens to those who don’t have that opportunity? Do they live in Langston Hughes’dream deferred? Do they dry up like a raisin in the sun, fester like a sore, and then run? Do they sag like a heavy load? Do they explode? In a growing number of American cities, workers are exploding, striking and demand- ing more money and more days off. It’s about time. Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, commentator and activist.
60 years after the March on Washington, please read Dr. King’s full ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, by Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan
It’s been 60 years since the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. One of the most famous speeches in American history, it is named for its most quoted line: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Labor Day 2023: Celebrating the union difference and building tomorrow’s public service workforce, by Lee Saunders
As we prepare to celebrate Labor Day, it’s as exciting a time as any to be a part of a union. Working people are seeing what the union difference is all about, and they want to be a part of it. Unions are overwhelmingly popular as the newest Gallup poll on attitudes toward labor unions shows.
Transparency and speaking truth to power
I am a 19-year veteran of the Richmond Fire Department and a candidate for the City of Richmond Personnel Board to represent the classified service. I have been closely following the narrative of the proposed burn building at Hickory Hill. I was in support of the burn building until I understood the entire narrative.
Safety Damar Hamlin makes the 53-player cut after Buffalo Bills pare roster, AP source says
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin made the cut, a person with direct knowledge of the decision confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday and according to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero.
Simone Biles wins a record 8th U.S. gymnastics title a full decade after her first
Simone Biles is not going to explain herself. Part of this is by design. Part of this is because she simply can’t.
A’ja Wilson ties record for most points in WNBA
The Las Vegas Aces might be the surest bet in the city known as “The Gambling Capital of the World.” A’ja Wilson is a towering reason why.
Under the microscope
An experiment to fight pandemic-era learning loss launches in Richmond
After intense opposition and skepticism, two elementary schools opened 20 days early to help students make up for what they missed during the time of remote learning. The first question: Would kids show up in the middle of summer for extra schooling?
Personality: Joi Dean
Spotlight on Partnership for the Future board chair
Joi Dean believes she has been given much in her life and working with Partnership for the Future (PFF) is a way for her to give back.
WREJ Rejoice sold
‘The Gary Flowers Show’ host plans to ‘carefully consider options before me’
Jim Jacobs, the station’s current owner through Radio Richmond, LLC, confirmed that the $500,00 deal to sell WREJ 990 AM/101.3 FM to Relevant Radio is moving forward. An announcement on “The Gary Flowers Show” Monday morning made it official that the station’s current programming will cease effective Aug. 31.
Georgia’s case against Donald Trump’s team shows the real crime — against voters, by Clarence Page
Are you the sort of aging baby boomer who can’t hear the opening notes of Rossini’s “William Tell Overture” without thinking of the Lone Ranger?
Women at the first March on Washington: A secretary, a future bishop and a marshal
In front of the crowds and the cameras, the speeches of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other men loomed large 60 years ago at the March on Washington. But the women, including those of faith, who played roles in its organization, its music and its news coverage were mostly left off the official program.
Belmar’s been here, there, everywhere
Kharlton Belmar is the Richmond Kickers’ traveling man. Both his suitcase and soccer cleats are high mileage.
Ron Cephas Jones, ‘This Is Us’ actor who won 2 Emmys, dies at 66
Ron Cephas Jones, a veteran stage actor who won two Emmy Awards for his role as a long-lost father who finds redemption on the NBC television drama series “This Is Us,” has died at age 66, a representative said Saturday.
McClellan announces photo competition
Congresswoman Jennifer L. McClellan is inviting residents of Virginia’s 4th Congressional District to share their vision of the area and its community with her and, potentially, the nation at large.
Personality: Mitchell Haddon
Spotlight on Richmond SPCA’s outgoing board chairman
About a decade ago, Mitchell Haddon met Robin Robertson Starr, who then was CEO of the Richmond SPCA. Because of Mr. Haddon’s experience in construction, Ms. Starr had questions about a veterinary hospital that the nonprofit SPCA was considering building. Their conversation soon segued into the mission of SPCA and its journey.
Gilpin Court residents ancestry project enables them to reclaim their time
Michelle Bryant wants to learn more about herself and her ancestors.
Glen Lea teacher receives health and physical education award after facing personal health challenges
When diagnosed with heart failure during the 2021-2022 school year, Glen Lea Elementary School educator Dexter Price did not plan to continue teaching.
